Baby dressing table



v v June 4,1940; P. F. MEILINK BABY DRESSING TABLE Filed April 12, 1953 INVENTOR. Paul EMeilink ATTORNEY. S

Patented June 4, 1940 A UNITED STATES BABY DRESSING TABLE" I d Paul F. Meilink, Grosse FointeFarms, Mich. Application April 12, 1938, seriainb. 201.580; 101mm. (01. cu -i9 This invention relates to a device useful in the bathing and handling of babies.

There are many occasions when a baby is given a bath or. change of clothes. or otherwise handled, when it is desirable to have a support upon which the baby may be disposed during such procedure. The ordinary household is not equipped with a suitable support for such a purpose. The ordinary bed is too low; the surface of a table is too hard or harsh for such purposes; and then, too, the bed and table are not in the most desirable locations. The most desirable location is usually that where hot and cold water is readily available, for example, in or near the bathroom. Bathrooms on the whole are not overly large and" a device in thenature of a supporter bed with supporting legs cannot be very well placed in the bathroom, or if it is disposed in the bathroom, it is very inconvenient because of taking up the needed space. l l

This inventionis directed to the provision of a support for the purpose mentioned, which can be secured to a wall or door so that ordinarily when out of use it may bepositioned substantially flush againstjthe surface of the wall or door and generally parallel thereto, so that the device is entirely out of the way andoccupies no floor space. When it is to be used it may be manipulated with a simple movement of one hand and adjusted to working position, in which position the "support or bed portion lies substantially horizontally. After use, simple manipulation by one hand may again dispose the bed in inoperative position.

A deviceof this natureis admirably suited for use in the bathroom, even though the room is relatively small. The use of the device, of course. is not limited to bathrooms, as it may be used in any desired location. Forinstance, many people live in quite small apartments, and this device may be used in apartments with great facility, and may be located in any desirable or convenient room or position in that room.

It is also the aim of this invention to provide a device of simple construction which can be readily obtained on the market at a low cost and which is of a sanitary nature in that the cloth or fabric portions maybe very easily removed, washed or cleaned, and then replaced. This is accomplished by providing a framework from which the cloth or fabricportions may be easily removed and upon which the fabric portions may be easily replaced.

One form of device for carrying out this inbrackets will preferably .be mounted upon the vention. is shown in the accompanying drawing wherein I I 1 is a perspectiveview of a device. constructed in accordance with the invention and in operating position. I

. Fig.2 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken substantially on line 2--2 of, Fig. 1 showing a hinge type ofmounting.

' Fig. 3. is an enlarged cross sectional view taken substantially on line 3--3 of Fig; 2 showing the hinge mounting. p K

Fig. 4 is an enlarged crosssectional view taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. Jillustrating the supporting leg. i l.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken substantially on line 5--5 of Fig. 1 showing the supporting leg. mounting. y. i i

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross sectional viewtaken substantially on line 6+6 of Fig. 1 illustrating a pocket or retainer. l

. Fig. 'l is an enlarged cross sectional view taken substantially on line "llfof Fig. .1 illustrating the fabric bed or support.

N As illustratedfin Fig. 1, a wall, door or other partition-forming member of a building is illus .tratedat I, while the floor is at 2, the wall and fioor meeting at. the line 3. Secured to the wall is a supporting member 5 in the form of a strip whichmay be secured thereto by screws. 6. This support carries bracketsadvantageously having a bifurcated projecting portion. $uch a bracket .is generally illustrated at l and, as illustrated, the bracket is formed of sheet metal fashioned ,with'a back portion 8 lying against the support {with inwardly bent portions 9 and with the ends '35 extendingin a bifurcated manner as at I 0. Screws ll serve to secure the brackets to the stripB. d v 2 As shown. there are two brackets properly spacedrelative to each other on the strip and the strip by the factory. This is to obtain the desired spacing The frame for the support advantageously takes the form of a tubular structure generally of V shape in formation. One tubular leg is:illustrated. at l5 and another at l6, each member having a bend through substantially 90,as shown at l1, to provide portions l8 and I9 extending toward each other and forming the bight of the U. The portions 18 and I9 may terminate short of each other substantially at the center of the bight, as illustrated in Fig. 4.

A uniting member 20, which may be a rod or tube telescopes into the ends of the members l8 and I9, and a sheet metal member 2| may be 5 illustrated.

fashioned around the connecting member 20 between the ends [8 and I9, and this sheet metal member may have extending portions 22 preferably brought together in flush relationship, as shown in Fig; 5.. It has been found advantageous to spot weld the member 20 into one tube, as for example, the tube H), the weld connection being illustrated at 23, and to press fit the other tubular member onto the connector member 20, as for example, the tubular member l8. The reason for this will presently appear.

The endsof the legs 15 and iii are pivotally secured to the brackets. This is preferably accomplished by flattening the end ofthe tubular members l5 and [6, as illustrated at 25, and by providing therein elongated holes 26. The flattened portions form relatively-long flat heads as The flattened heads are designed to be received between the portions I (Fig. 2); and for pivotally securing the legs in position, a bolt 2'! with a wing nut 28 is provided. Theportions II] have apertures through which the bolts extend with a relatively close fit, and the bolts extend through the elongated apertures 26.

A supportingleg structure oftubular form is illustrated at 30andits upper end is preferably telescoped over the projectingportions 22 and flattened. thereon, and a fixed connection may be made by spot welding as illustrated at 3|. Thus the supporting leg or strut 30 is pivotally c onne'cted to theframeas the member'Zl' may pivot on the member .20., A suitable tip or bumper 32 may be disposed at the floor-engagingend. of the strut, and this may be a rubber, block provided. with a projecting .portionfor disposition within the end ofthetube. d

, A suitable fabric is disposed ta'ut across .the frameand this fabricherein is termed the bed. The fabric bed is generally illustrated at [35, and it has openhems 36 at each edge into which the members l5.and .I'E'are disposed. Suitable pockets or receptacles of desirable fabric may be disposed on the bight.portion. of the U-frame, there being two .pockets illustrated, one atAUand ,theother at 4|. These pockets are alsoprovidedwith open hems or sewed to provide .a tubular structure 42 adapted to be slipped over the frame. The .various structural parts may be finished with a suitableenamel or lacquer or other coating. In assembling the parts, the cross piece 20, as above recited, is welded to oneof the frame members. The divided. frame parts may then be subjected to. the enameling, lacquering or other coatingprocess, as. such process is facilitated with the frame divided, and then subsequently the one frame membermay be press .fitted to the connector member'Zfl. d

The device, as it is preferably supplied to the trade, includesthe frame and a support with the brackets attached .to the support. The mounting of. the device in the home is simple, since all that is required is the securing of the strip orsupport .5 to a wall or door or any other suitablestructure in the .home. The bed and pockets. may also be supplied withthestructural parts, and if desired, two or more fabric beds may be provided together with twoor more sets of pockets, or thesemay be purchased additionally.

In use, the device is adjusted to the position as substantially shown in Fig.1. The support 5 is preferably positioned so that when the bed is horizontal the lower end of the strut fits in the angle between the wall and the floor, as illustrated. This is at a desired height for work.

The baby may be placed upon the bed 35, which is soft and fiexiblebecause of comprising the taut fabric secured only at opposite edges, and divers articles may be placed in the pockets 40 and 4!. When the device is out of use it may be swung 'upwardly'by' one hand substantially to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1, and then dropped vertically to the dotted line position shown in Fig.3. This is permittedbecause of the slots 26, and the elongated heads 25 serve to hold the frame in this upright position; At this time the strut 38 depends in a substantially vertical position, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

To use the device only one hand is needed to elevate the frame and then to swing it to the positionshown in Fig. 1. The fact that this can all be accomplished with one hand permits the carrying of the baby in the other arm. i

From time to time it 'may-be found desirable to'rcmove the bed and pockets for cleaning or washing or changing. This may be done by simply loosening the wing nuts, taking out the bolts so that-the legs of the frame may be removed, and then slipping the bed off of the ends of the frame. The pockets may be likewise removed; Other pockets and another bed may be p'lace'don the frame, or the removed bed and pockets =may be washed and then replaced.

It will therefore be observed that the provision of the open frame is a highly desirable feature permitting easy change in the bed and pockets, buttlie-frame is,-neverthele ss, given its adequate strength for'holding the bed taut, because the ends are secured to the brackets on the supporting stripfi. The strip 5 preferably-hasan adequate 'wi'dth 'forholding'tightly to the door be causewhen thefram'e is held upwardly asillustrated in Fig. l thereissome torque tending to twistthe strip relative to the door, especially when the door is moved on its hinges. Likewise, the vertical dimensionof thebrackets l is such as to provide suflitciently rigid attachment.

Iclaim:

A device for supporting a baby while itis being bathed, given achange of clothingor otherwise handled, comprising aU-shaped frame, means pivotally connectingthe'free ends of the arms of the U to a wall or door, said U-shaped frame comp-rising two tubular members ea'ch with a sub- 5 

